Oh my gosh...I am sooo tired alllllll the time. I am pure exhausted if I go to work.I have RA, and am on amitryptiline,and plaquenil and take vitamin D too. I am tired all the time. Even when I go to bed early I am still tired when I get up. Summer is here and my job is cashier at a local grocery store, and so my hours pick up now that summer is here. By the time I am done for the day, be it 5 hours or 8 hours I am done like dinner....I am sore and tired beyond belief. I eat well, and be sure to eat healthy as I have kids and try to set good example of course. People I have read in here say that plaquenil is supposed to help lessen the tired feeling....so I was wondering if anyone had the opposite effect? Or maybe if I should go see dr. again?? last time I went and told them I was always tired nothing happened , she just asked me if I snore??? when I told her I believe I do she asked if I quit breathing, when I told her I didnt....topic seemed to have been dropped. It seems like I can never ever catch up on my sleep even when I get "naps" or to "sleep in" as much as a mom gets to of course.Anyone else feel tired alot? any ideas how to help myself as last time I asked a doctor I got nowhere....sorry to whine but ...I'm tired and I hope someone out there understands as everyone here seems to want me to suck it up and "get over it" Have a good evening all....I'm going to bed. Thanks for any input. :)

I do have a lot of fatigue, too. I think it is probably my RA because I don't have it under control yet. I take Celebrex, MTX and Tramadol for pain. I was Dx May 10th, so I am still trying to get acclimated to my new life. I don't have any energy left after I work, but I work in an office. I don't think I could work in a grocery store. Maybe you need to add something to your meds, or change meds...??? Are your joints still swollen and stiff? Are you anemic?

Best Wishes,VFibromyalgia, Seronegative RA, Asthma, High BP, DDD, Bulging Discs in Cervical & Lumbar Spine, GERD, PrediabeticPrednisone, Lexapro, Cardizem, Lisinopril, Advair, Lipitor, Vit D, Joint Supplements, Soma, Tramadol, Fish Oil SupplementsI take one day at a time, and try to save my energy for the joy in life.

I totally understand what you are talking about. I feel totally exhausted all the time. My doctor asked me if I was sleeping well? Well, of course I told him no. How can you sleep well when your back hurts and your neck hurts and your hip hurts. Its hard to get to sleep, hard to stay asleep. Well, he generally assumed that if I slept better I would not be so exhausted. I complain about it every time I see the rheumatologist. He doesn't seem to take it seriously.

I feel the same way you do. When I work, that's all I can do. My kids are grown, now, so I at least don't have that additional responsibility. I don't think sleep will totally do it. I don't know what will. I have been interested in taking plaquenil, but at the present time I don't have any insurance, so I'll have to forgo any medication changes. I'm lucky that all of my meds have been covered by patient assistance.

Hang in there, and keep bringing it up with your doctor. Good luck. I know how overwhelming it seems. It feels like working takes all you have, and that there is just nothing left of you. Fatigue really lowers your quality of life. I think it is worse than the pain.

Thank-you for your posts Vannie and De La Rosa.Vannie, yes I still get the swelling and pain, and stiffness. No I am not anemic, they have checked me for that.De La Rosa, thanks for the kind words. I am sorry that you actually get what I mean cause it sucks that you feel this way too. But I am also glad SOMEBODY gets it.I have kids that are wonderful and try to help alot. They are even trying to be super quiet in the mornings that I get to "sleep in" so I can stay asleep for a bit longer. But of course knowing my boys are up and at it, I feel guilty and do not stay in bed much longer after they have gotten up.I will talk with my doctor again, but being summer Its lots of fun trying to "beat" the tourists to getting an appointment.Take care both of you and thanks again. TayIsa

I guess being tired with RA is very common...I too get exhausted easy, I wonder if your doctorknows about this and doesn't really have a clue as to what you could do...maybe go toa food health food store and look into a supplement, (not an energy drink)...well wishes to you, keep us posted...Maybe more protein in your diet would help, maybe trygreek yogart (sp?)...********************************************** * So many dx's I could write a book* "It would be nice if we could use the edit button in real life"...********>^..^^..^

TayIsa,You say you snore? Do you feel like you wake up a lot during the night and it's not the pain waking you?You might have sleep apnea.I have it and before I started using the CPAP machine I drugged myself around. I felt so tired all the time. I couldn't get enough sleep.Ask your doctor to set you up with a sleep study.Joy

Thanks Chartreux and couchtater for your responses.I dont wake up from snoring in the night, but sleep apnea could be part of the problem....but when I asked my rhuemy or my doctor never got anywhere, thinking I should make another appointment and try again. I just get an attitude and frustrated when I have to practically beg or FORCE by screaming at them for them to listen....so I try to figure things out myself so I can go in and say THIS IS WHATS WRONG NOW FIX IT....Thanks for your input Trust me I am taking it all in and using it. :) have a great day

Hi Tayisa...I am also tired most of the time, it's terrible isn't it? I have trouble sleeping and take Trazadone, and have found that also contributes to my fatigue (Trazadone). My mom took Amitryptiline (sp?) sorry! and one of the side effects was fatigue or sleepiness from the medication, so that could be contributing to some of your tiredness, you may want to check with your doctor. Although most of it is probably from the RA in general I have found the only thing that combats it for me is pred, and that is not the best thing for it.

momto3 thanks for your input to my problem. I have tried pred, and am in all honestly trying to stay far far away from it. I dont like how it made me feel, or what effects it had on other functions of my body. I really dont want to become dependant on a steroid either....as I am dependent on the plaquenil I guess cause I definitley know when I have forgotten to take it cause I dont feel as "pain less" (not free) the day after I forget.Thanks again and have a great day

I too am always tired even with controlled RA. My doctor refuses to believe it is RA related. He had my GP change my BP med- nothing. Took me off MTX- nothing. Says to have a sleep study done for possible sleep apnea. My husband says I snore (but only when he's having trouble sleeping does he hear me) and he says I don't gasp or stop breathing. Just snore like a salior LOL.

Hi Tayisa..I wasn't suggesting for you to take pred, I was simply saying that is the only thing that I have found that works. I used to take plaquenil before it started to bother my eyes and I had to discontinue use. Plaquenil was a great energy booster, that is for certain! Your other medication tends to have a sedating side effect, that is most likely why you are more tired. It is difficult to take those types of meds, and not feel some sort of tiredness from them.

Thanks Weary and Momto3 for your posts. It is reassuring that I am not CRAZY or LAZY by feeling tired all the time. As people seem to think I am....I go to work and get the stuff done I need to do but feel like I am struggling all the time to function as I am tired and want to sleep. I was wondering if possible stress is not helping either. Hope you both have a great day.

I have been fatigued for years...I was undiagnosed for a long time. I am seronegative. The fatigue has gotten really bad this last year. I though if/when I got my RA under control, the fatigue would ease. I guess not...???Fibromyalgia, Seronegative RA, Asthma, High BP, DDD, Bulging Discs in Cervical & Lumbar Spine, GERD, PrediabeticPrednisone, Lexapro, Cardizem, Lisinopril, Advair, Lipitor, Vit D, Joint Supplements, Soma, Tramadol, Fish Oil SupplementsI take one day at a time, and try to save my energy for the joy in life.

That's what my rhuemy told me....once the meds are in your system you will feel better...well sorry but I dont :( Hope you figure things out Vannie so you can be at your best self. Thanks for responding.

I was exhasted last year when my RA wasn't so well controlled. I'd have to take a nap between my morning and afternoon class a half hour power nap and then come home and nap too before I could face dinner and kid's homework etc. But this year even though my sleep is still not great I have boundless energy. I feel like the energiser bunny, I could run all day. The new combination of meds has worked for me. I'm sure its the disease, when I flare I feel terrible, I can't get out of bed, can hardly stand up. I think we foget it doesn't just affect joints but organs too like our heart, liver and kidneys.Not that I can give you a solution only that I feel 10 years younger now than I did last year. There may be a combination of meds out there that does the same for you. Best wishes, golitho

the elavil (amitriptiline) makes you drag until its at a good level. I just got off it, switched on to cymbalta, but it totally made me dopey. The pain keeps me up at night and the med doesnt help. I agree, all I do is work and sleep/rest so I can go back to work. Pray it gets better!!! But I feel ya TayIsa! You are so not alone!!29 year old female. Dx with UC in June 2003. Flare up in June 2006 led to CD dx. Also suffering from PTSD, Anxiety and Depression. Recently dx with Rheumatoid Arthritis.Current Meds: Humira, Methotrexate, Sulfazine, Zofran, Cymbalta, Nurotin, Folic Acid, Vicoden, Tramadol, Prednisone

You are NOT lazy! You have a chronic illness that makes you tired. If people can understand that you need to rest then forget trying to make them understand. Rest when you need to but don't become a couchtater. :)Joy

couchtater, Thanks soooo much. I wish there was a way to explain the pure exhaustion to some people who just dont understand. I have read the "spoon theory", and thought this was a good way. I have used it to explain to some people.Hope you are having a good day. ((gentle hugs)) and thanks again

Thanks couchtater,golitho and carmen. Great Ideas!! Carmen, I am to skip 2 days of taking my plaquenil a week, and I have not taken my amitriptyline on that day .... didnt really seem to help with exhaustion..but that certainly was a great idea.... thanks for helpin out.